Thursday, November 5, 2009

Sunset Riders - Tape Demo

Definitely among my top favorite demos and overall bands of the Pacific Northwest; likely I would put it up first. What's cooler than pizza, soda, video games, and hanging out with your good friends? I find myself listening to this tape quite often. A lot can be said for a band like Sunset Riders, aptly named after the sega genesis/Nintendo game. They follow a late 80's Youth Crew style hardcore formula, which as tired and diluted as it may have become through many revivals, gets a new spin. SR manages to pioneer its own sound within the constraints of a strictly labeled, "subgenre", and add a bit more of a rock groove: "Get a Grip", "Bent Beliefs". The Scorpions intro into "Wrong Turn" is also a great touch. The closest it gets to mimicking predecessors that I caught was a re-hashed Unity and Gorilla Biscuits line. Straight forward, honest, and as fun as it can get, Sunset Riders shows are met with extremely enthusiastic crowd response and an overall great feel. Although on what could be described as a "terminal" hiatus, due to Ryan being in school and all the band-mates living in different areas, I hope to see SR playing again soon. The lyrics pertain to easily relate-able concepts such as work obligations, peer pressures, dogmatic faith, changing social relationships, and overall falsehood and dilution of participation in the hardcore music scene. So before you go pull on your white hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and 'X' up your fists for the Sunset Riders show, try being yourself, cutting loose, getting real, and raging with some wild Tiki dudes. Recorded at the Tiki House by Ben Dewey 8/1/2006, Mangina Records.